NEW YORK, Feb. 05, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- LifeSci Advisors, an investor relations and corporate communications firm focused on the life sciences sector, today announces the 13th appointment of a female executive to a life sciences company board as part of its Board Placement Initiative (BPI). LifeSci Advisors launched BPI in the summer of 2016 with the goal of connecting female executives in the life sciences industry with companies seeking board candidates. The Initiative has been gaining momentum as the network of qualified Board candidates, and the companies seeking to fill those roles, has grown due to referrals and engagement on both sides.

LifeSci is pleased to share that Catherine Sohn, Pharm.D., has been appointed to the Board of Directors of Rubius Therapeutics, a biotechnology company pioneering the creation of a new class of extraordinarily active, ready-to-use and life-changing cellular therapies.

“I am delighted to join the board of Rubius, an innovative company that is pioneering the development of a new class of medicines for patients with very serious diseases,” said Dr. Sohn. “I look forward to working with the Board to continue the progress of the company’s talented team and I applaud LifeSci Advisors’ BPI program.”

Catherine Sohn, Pharm.D., is non-executive Chairman of BioEclipse Therapeutics, Inc, an early, clinical stage biotechnology company (private), and is an independent Director on the Board of Directors of Jazz Pharmaceuticals and Landec Corp. She holds the position of Adjunct Professor at the University of California, San Francisco and serves on the board of directors of the not-for-profit World Affairs Council of Philadelphia and is a member of the Investment Committee of Pennsylvania’s Ben Franklin Technology Partners. Until retiring from GlaxoSmithKline plc in 2010, Sohn was Senior Vice President of Worldwide Business Development and Strategic Alliances in GSK’s Consumer Healthcare division. She previously served as Vice President of Worldwide Strategic Product Development for the Cardiovascular, Metabolic & Pulmonary Therapeutic Areas at SmithKline Beecham (SB) Pharmaceuticals (now GSK). Earlier in her career, she established the US Vaccine Business and led the commercialization of the company’s first vaccine in the US.

“We at Rubius are thrilled to welcome Catherine to our board. Her experience in business development, corporate strategy, and commercial success will help us continue our progress in 2018 and beyond,” said David Epstein, Executive Chairman of Rubius. “I recognize how important an engaged and diverse board is to a company’s success, and I’d like to thank LifeSci Advisors for helping to make this connection.”

“We are confident that Catherine’s depth of biopharma experience and industry success will be a significant asset to Rubius, and their cell therapy platform,” said Michael Rice, President and Co-Founder, LifeSci Advisors. “The success of our Board Placement Initiative is due to the caliber of the candidates and of the companies in our network. I’d like to thank our colleagues who continue to refer excellent candidates and companies as we continue growing our Initiative. We encourage more people in our industry to learn about and utilize the critical platform we’ve created.”

LifeSci Advisors’ Board Placement Initiative (BPI) was launched with the goal of helping companies in the life sciences industry diversify and strengthen their company boards. Introductions between companies and eligible board candidates are made after LifeSci has met with a company’s management team or Board regarding the skills and expertise they are seeking in a candidate, and after the LifeSci team has properly vetted the board candidates. BPI has now helped to place 13 women on corporate boards and is looking to continue this success. With a proprietary network comprised of board-ready women, LifeSci Advisors hopes that BPI can become a valuable platform where both female executives and life sciences companies are able to network and to grow.

LifeSci Advisors, LLC (www.lifesciadvisors.com) is the largest investor relations consultancy in the life sciences industry, founded to provide companies with a multi-faceted approach to investor communications and outreach. With a global focus and reach, the firm provides the highest quality service for its clients through its deep sector specialization. LifeSci’s team of MDs and PhDs enables the firm to better understand clients' R&D, regulatory and commercial strategies, and its team of financial services, investor relations and public relations specialists helps clients effectively communicate to the marketplace. This combination of life sciences, financial services, and investor relations competencies allows LifeSci Advisors to provide an invaluable and unique service offering to clients.

LifeSci Partners (www.lifescipartners.com) is the leading provider of consulting services in the areas of investor relations, public relations, corporate communications and capital markets advisory. Combining deep domain expertise in the life sciences with decades of experience in capital markets and public relations, LifeSci Partners delivers unparalleled services to life sciences companies globally.

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